New tagline won't be used in the U.S.

By

E.J. Schultz

Published On

Jan 09, 2019

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Pepsi is retiring its 7-year-old global tagline, "Live For Now," in favor of "For the Love of It"—a new campaign that includes a jingle by the Simon Fuller-backed international pop group Now United. But the campaign won't run in the U.S., where the cola is taking a separate path that has been devoid of taglines.

Still, "For the Love of It" will get a big push globally, appearing in new ads in more than 100 countries, Pepsi announced Tuesday. Most of the new ads keep the focus on the soda, with extreme close-ups. One spot (below) is called "Lip Smackin'." It was handled by Carousel Collective NYC. Other ads are credited to Buck, a shop whose roots are in motion design.

Omnicom's AMVBBDO was involved in the development of the new tagline and campaign platform, according to a PepsiCo spokeswoman. Omnicom's Goodby Silverstein & Partners handles Pepsi's U.S. account, including a forthcoming Super Bowl ad.

"Live for Now" debuted in 2012 as Pepsi's first global campaign. The first ad starred Nicki Minaj. The campaign was designed to help Pepsi regain its swagger and put the brand at the forefront of emerging pop culture trends. But "Live for Now" hit a low point in early 2017 with the now infamous ad starring Kendall Jenner that was widely mocked and quickly pulled.

Members of Now United appear in one of the new Pepsi ads that features their new jingle. The international pop group, which includes 14 singers from 14 countries, is a creation of Fuller, creator of "American Idol" and the one-time manager of the Spice Girls, who appeared in Pepsi advertising in the group's 1990s prime.

In a press release, Roberto Rios, senior VP marketing for the global beverage group at PepsiCo, hyped "For the Love of It" as "our rallying cry, proudly saying to go all in for the things you love—from passions and interests like football and music, to unabashedly enjoying one of life's favorite treats—Pepsi."

A U.S. Pepsi representative declined to comment on why the global tagline is not being used here, but it is not unusual for the brand's stateside marketing to take a different direction than what is used globally. While "Live for Now" has been used in the states, it has not appeared in recent ads, including the newest Pepsi spot by Goodby that debuted during the Golden Globes. The alien-themed ad stars William H. Macy and takes inspiration from the 2016 movie "Arrival."

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CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the involvement of AMVBBDO in the campaign. A previous version stated the agency was not involved, based on information provided by PepsiCo.